Timberwolves win third straight, stifling Clippers in blowout victory

Minnesota's defense appears to have returned to form over the last three games.

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle drives to the basket against Los Angeles Clippers center Mo Bamba during the first half at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., on Dec. 4, 2024. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Rudy Gobert delivered a pretty no-look pass to Jaden McDaniels for a transition layup in the opening minutes.

It was the type of play that indicated it might just be the Timberwolves' night, and it certainly was Wednesday as they dominated the Los Angeles Clippers from start to finish on their way to a 108-80 victory at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.

It all started from that opening quarter. Julius Randle hit four 3-pointers in the opening frame as the Wolves (11-10) jumped out to a 33-14 lead after 12 minutes of play. Randle scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the first 24.

What was even more impressive than the no-look passes or Randle's hot hand, though, was Minnesota's defense. In their last three games, the Wolves have strung together their three best defensive performances of the season — and it's getting better each game. After holding the Clippers (14-10) to just 14 points in the opening quarter, the Wolves limited them to just 18 points in each of the following two frames. Los Angeles shot just 35% from the field and 28% from 3.

The Wolves had 15 steals. They forced Los Angeles into 23 turnovers overall and scored 32 fast-break points to the Clippers' eight.

James Harden couldn't buy a shot, scoring just five points on 1-of-10 shooting while turning it over four times. Bones Hyland scored a team-high 18 points off the bench. Derrick Jones Jr. finished with 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting.

Even the bright spots for the Clippers had connections to Minnesota. Former Minnesota Gophers standout Amir Coffey, who was in the starting lineup, finished with 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting, four rebounds, a pair of assists and a steal.

Cam Christie, a rookie and another former Gophers standout, made his regular-season debut and impressed. He made some splash plays, like getting a steal and running out in transition for a dunk at the end of the third quarter. Christie also knocked down a 3-pointer during the fourth quarter. He finished with five points, three boards and a pair of steals.

For the Wolves, Anthony Edwards finished with 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. McDaniels and Mike Conley scored 11 points apiece. Gobert recorded eight points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and a block.

The Wolves assisted on 31 of their 41 made shots.

Josh Minott put together his best performance of the season, posting season highs in minutes (21), points (13), rebounds (eight) and assists (three). The Wolves emptied their bench late, and Luka Garza scored 10 points in eight minutes.

It was an all-around dominant performance from the Wolves on Wednesday, reminiscent of their previous win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Minnesota has now stacked three strong defensive performances in a row, resulting in three straight wins. It appears the Wolves have found their identity, and it's gotten them back to their winning ways.